Guide gives tips on voicemails, dining etiquette

In social circles, improper etiquette can cost you a friend.

In the business world, improper etiquette can cost you a raise, a promotion, or even your job.

A guide to how to behave — and how not to behave — in the workplace is offered in the paperback book New Rules at Work: 79 Etiquette Tips, Tools and Techniques To Get Ahead and Stay Ahead (Prentice Hall Press) by Barbara Pachter with Ellen Schneid Coleman.

Here are some of those tips:

• No. 1 Which Greeting Should I Use? “‘Hey’ is not a corporate greeting. Neither is ‘Yo!’ ... Not only are there greetings that shouldn’t be used in a professional setting, there is a hierarchy of greetings ranging from very informal to formal.”

• No. 23 Eight Dining Don’ts Among what not to do: “ask to share food at a business meal,” “yell or behave badly to the servers,” “take or make phone calls” “ask for a doggy bag” or “make noise when you eat, unless you are in Japan, where it can be a sign of appreciation for the food.”

• No. 51 When Leaving a Voicemail Message ... “State your name and phone number; repeat it at the beginning and at the end of the message and don’t forget to say the numbers slowly. ... ‘Hi, it’s me,’ is not enough information!”